Hello all! SwordOfTheGods back with another chapter of A Hero's Creed. I got sick over the weekend and still have a cough, so I had some time to pump this out before I return to my One Piece story. But, I'm gonna try something I haven't done before to my memory: answer reviews.
Gamelover41592: More trouble? I'm sure I don't know what you mean...
Shadowwolf1997: Abstergo is definitely a thing here. As you said, can't have Assassins' Creed without the modern face of the Templars, but what vile machinations could AFO possibly be using it for? Well, anyone caught up on Canon might guess, but I've got an extra arc or two in the works that I hope catch all y'all off guard.
PokeKing Charizard: I'm not sure Aizawa have enough teaching ability to make Izuku stop getting flustered by pretty girls. He's still a Cinnamon Roll, after all.
NinjaFang1331: She's not... yet.
Monkey D. Conan: You make some excellent points, but there's at least one other who won't give up the Green without a fair fight. Question is, will he even notice?
Wreck - GD: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Like the Assassins, I will keep up the hood work.
Now, on to the chapter!
Chapter 6:
Invasion
Izuku didn't know what to make of the crowd of reporters gathered before the UA gate, but he knew he didn't like it.
Crowds had never been his favorite thing, but they were worse when they got up in your face. From his current position, Izuku could see Ochako running away from them while Iida gave them a long-winded answer to whatever they had asked, so they must be harassing the students for comments about something or other. That said, one of the Brotherhood's Tenants was "hide in plain sight" so perhaps this would be good practice with little risk. Master Aizawa would certainly approve of impromptu training.
Reaching into his bag, Izuku pulled out a hooded sweatshirt and ducking into a alley. Slipping it on, the boy flipped the hood up and slouched a little, making himself small as Master Aizawa had trained him to do.
'Cover the face,' he reminded himself. 'Be small. Just walk.'
Keeping his breathing even, he entered the crowd. Reporters didn't think twice about him, the student slipping between them. He neared the front of the crowd, Iida still going with his continuous answer as the reporters closest to him started to back away.
"—And to compound this, All Might's dedication to teaching is only fanned by his years of experience. His constant battles with the forces of evil have granted him knowledge and insight into countless Quirks and their various possible applications. In addition, under his guidance, we were able to field test our powers in a safe battle scenario that challenged our planning, critical thinking, and adaptational skills—"
"I— Uh— Well—" the female reporter tried to say.
"—In fact, it was likely the most informative class so far. There is only so much one can do without truly testing their mettle and limits against their peers. Because we were divided into pairs, there was also a teamwork aspect that, for some, brought them soaring to victory or falling into defeat—"
"Ah— Please— Is—?"
"—Teamwork, however, only proved so helpful as there was a rather large disparity in raw power in the case of some students and a few of us had poor match-ups. As All Might told us, our time within this learning institution is the time to make mistakes where the consequences are not so dire as they would be in true combat with villains. Why—"
Didn't he need to breathe? Deciding to have mercy on the press, Izuku pushed past the woman who couldn't get a word in edgewise and strode his way toward Iida. The walking dictionary didn't notice the shorter student until Izuku looped an elbow in his, dragging him backwards. Only when Iida's speech was interrupted did silence reign for all of three seconds as the crowd processed the end of the verbal deluge. From one of the windows above, Aizawa nodding approvingly.
"Ah, Midoriya," Iida blinked. "What is the meaning of this interruption?"
"Are you a hero student‽" the female reporter yelled, rushing forward in the hope of catching the hooded teen. "Can you give is a comment about All Might as a teacher‽"
Izuku ignored her, dragging Iida through the gate.
"Hey lady, wait!" another journalist shouted.
"Are all the hero students this rude‽" the woman taunted, hoping for a reaction. "To think that UA—"
An alarm blared, cutting off the woman. A steel wall rose from the ground, sealing off the gate, but it did not stop at one, more rising barriers forcing the woman to backpedal lest the steel crush her against the top of the gate. When it was over, there was ten feet of steel between the press and the students that had just entered.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"That's the UA Barrier," the man who had shouted explained. "It keeps out anyone who doesn't have a student or teacher ID."
"That can't be legal!" the woman complained. "How is UA able to get away with such secrecy? They could be hiding any number of immoral practices and it's our job as the media to expose such things!"
"It's a closed campus," the man sighed. "Besides, I don't think they're doing anything like that. They are the top hero school, after all."
"For Homeroom today, I'm giving you all an assignment," Aizawa began, his words sending a nervous sweat down the spines of every student in the classroom. "You need to pick a class representative and a vice-representative by the end of Homeroom."
"That's so normal!" Kaminari gasped aloud, the rest of the class silently agreeing.
"Have you a process for selecting a student for such a prestigious position?" Momo questioned, one slim hand raised.
"I don't care how you do it, just do it before I wake up from my nap." Aizawa tucked himself into his sleeping bag, flopping over on the ground with a wump. Izuku blinked, wondering if he was always this tired or if his nightly duties as an Assassin are what caused this.
"I'll be the class rep!" Bakugo yelled, an explosion punctuating his words. "You extras need a goddamn powerhouse like me."
"Nah, pick me!" Mina Ashido said. "I'll lead the class with style!"
"I want to be class rep!" Hanta Sero put in.
"Non, moi!" Yuga Aoyama argued. "Je vais diriger cette classe avec des étincelles!" Not being able to speak French, the rest of the class ignored him.
Izuku sat there, watching the chaos. Neither he nor Tsuyu raised their hands or threw their names in the ring, both knowing that duties as a class rep would cut into their Assassin training. In that aspect, he had little concern over who took the title of class representative as long as it wasn't Bakugo. He was also soured on the idea of Aoyama taking the position, but that didn't seem likely.
"Everyone, silence yourselves!" Iida called out, his hand shaking as he raised it as high as it could go. "We are students at the respected school of UA! Such fruitless bickering is beneath us!"
"But you want the position as much as the rest of us," Kirishima pointed out.
"That is true," Iida confessed, lowering his hand. "Still, I believe our best course in this endeavor is to hold a secret vote."
"But everyone could just vote for themselves," Jiro thought aloud.
"Indeed, but that means that anyone who receives more than one vote already has the respect and trust of their classmates."
"We've only known each other for, like, two days at most," Kirishima commented. "That's not a lot of time to learn to trust each other."
"There's a vice-rep position to fill, too," Izuku noted. "Why don't we each have two votes and work on an honor system that the second vote has to be someone else? Then everyone can have at least one vote for themselves if they want it."
"An excellent idea, Midoriya," Iida agreed. "Are there any arguments?"
"Yeah, I got one," Bakugo said, standing. "Why the Hell are we even listening to this Quirkless loser? Clearly I'm the only good choice for class rep."
"By insulting your classmates, ribbit, you're deeming yourself unsuitable," Tsuyu piped up.
"The fuck you say, Frog Bitch?"
"Let the votes speak for themselves, Bakugo," Izuku growled, turning an eye on the blond. "If our classmates think you're a good pick, then they'll say so. Personally, however, I'll give you whatever the opposite of an endorsement is because you are the worst possible choice."
"Shut up, Deku! No one gives a fuck what the Quirkless loser has to say."
"That is incredibly rude!" Iida cried.
"Pardon me, Bakugo, but your attitude is completely out of line." Momo stood, looking down her nose at the explosive teen. "Disparaging your peers is the worst thing a representative can do, and should we elect you as our dignitary to the other classes, the shame that would fall upon us would be insurmountable. As heroes, members of society whose duties to the population may even come to self-sacrifice, we must learn to lead and serve the people with utmost manners and care. You, Katsuki Bakugo, have embodied neither of those ideals in the little time we have known each other, leading me to believe you never have."
"You don't know anything about me, Boobs McGee," Bakugo scowled, Momo recoiling as she held her chest self-consciously. "I'm gonna be the best goddamn hero to ever walk the earth, surpassing even All Might. Got that? Just get this damn vote over and done with so I can claim my title."
Momo sniffed, turning away. "Very well then."
Five minutes later, the votes counted, several students found themselves staring at the board in shock. Most everyone did have at least one vote, but two names had risen from the rest.
Momo Yaoyorozu: 9 votes
Izuku Midoriya: 8 votes
Izuku goggled at his name on the board. Eight of his classmates had voted for him, or several had such trust in him that they put his name in twice. His own votes had gone to Iida and Ochako. For a moment, he considered turning down the nomination for Iida as the runner-up with three votes, but perhaps it would be better to keep an eye on Momo lest she end up spreading Templar ideology through class meetings, even unintentionally.
"No one gave me a goddamn vote‽" Bakugo demanded, his desk exploding under his palm. He didn't seem to realize that the question revealed that both of the votes that had gone to him were his own. "And you extras voted for the Deku‽ The fuck?"
"Midoriya earned one of my votes," Iida commented. "He performed incredibly well in both the entrance exam and the battle trials we had. In particular, his self-sacrificial mentality in the battle trials tells me that he will give his all as one of our class representatives."
"I had a similar reasoning," Momo agreed.
"So, it's decided?" Aizawa asked, cutting off Bakugo's coming rant. The yellow caterpillar that was their teacher sat up and turned his tired, bloodshot eyes on the class. "Yaoyorozu, Midoriya. I expect you both to respect the rules and lead this class to the best of your abilities. Understood?"
Too late to turn back now.
"Yes, Aizawa-sensei!"
"Compared to Heroics yesterday, today's classes are kinda boring," Ochako commented at the lunch table, the brunette poking her rice with her chopsticks. Izuku didn't know how to tell her she had a couple pieces of rice stuck to her cheek. "I mean, I get why we need to learn Quirk Law and all that, but it's not as cool as getting to actually use our Quirks."
"I can understand your frustration," Iida said. "However, we must hone both our minds and bodies for the rigors of hero work if we wish to succeed for both ourselves and the people we will rescue. Alongside that, we must learn the limits of force so that we do not overstep the natural rights all, including villains, are given as human beings. As heroes, we must protect everyone, even if that mean saving them from their own actions."
"I guess," the girl agreed. "It just seems… I don't know. Seems weird that we're so concerned with villains' safety when they might be trying to kill us."
"Uraraka does have a point," Izuku commented. "Some of the Quirk laws are a bit out of date considering Quirks, on average, become stronger with each generation. I'm almost worried the regulations may lead to innocent casualties while heroes pursue other avenues."
"But we must be paragons of shining light against their darkness!" Iida argued. "If we resort to such lethal methods without exhausting every other option, then we are no better than the villains we face."
"I'm not saying we go straight to lethal!" Ochako countered, but Izuku did not hear the rest of her words.
Iida's statement bounced around his head, reminding him of the only reason he had managed to earn his place in UA. If we resort to such lethal methods without exhausting every other option, then we are no better than the villains we face. The statement hurt, showing Izuku that Iida, at least, would never see eye-to-eye with any Assassin he were to meet.
Izuku chewed on his food, keeping his mouth full so he wouldn't mutter. Iida was proving to be a good friend, but he is also one classmate he could never trust his secrets to, no matter how good a guy he is or how wonderful a hero he became. In fact, his "paragon of light" and "saving people from their own actions" ideas almost had undertones of Templar ideals. Thankfully, Master Aizawa had not said anything about the Iida family having ties to their Order, but they could be approached at any point. Izuku would need to keep an eye on Iida and hope that his altruism was never warped into a misguided sense of needing to control the people for their own safety.
"—You agree with me, right Izuku?"
"Hm?" the verdet blinked, looking up from his lunch at Ochako's question. "Sorry, I spaced out for a minute. What'd you ask?"
"Don't you think Iida sounds like a rich kid?"
"That's preposterous," said boy said. "I vocalize like any other student."
"No, you speak like Yaomomo," Ochako rebuffed. "And we all know she's got cash."
"Well. the Iida family are all pro heroes," Izuku supplied, "so it makes sense for Iida to be more well-off than others."
"You found me out so quickly," the dark-haired student sighed. "Yes, I admit my family is in no need of more income. My entire family consists of pro heroes. In fact, by older brother Tensei is the Turbo Hero: Ingenium."
"That's amazing, Iida!" Ochako grinned. "It must be so cool to grow up with heroes in the family!"
"If you were trying to keep it a secret, you weren't trying too hard," Izuku chuckled. "I mean, the Iida family is pretty famous in the hero world, so any hero nerd like me would recognize the name."
"Yes, well—" Iida began only for red lights to start flashing.
The school intercoms beeped, a mechanized, feminine voice saying, "Warning. Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate in an orderly fashion. Repeat: Level 3 security breach."
The cafeteria had gone silent with the announcement, but noise quickly returned in a cacophony of yelling and screaming as students rushed for the doors. Iida grabbed the shoulder of a nearby upperclassman, interrupting his movements.
"Pardon, what is a Level 3 breach?" he asked.
"It means someone got past the UA Barrier," the student explained. "This has never happened in my three years here. It could be a villain attack. We need to go!"
"Uraraka! Iida!" Izuku yelled, the mass of people separating him from his friends. In the glimpses he could see of them, they were also separated from each other. He could see flashes of familiar hairstyles in the crowd, his classmates as well as other hero students trying to calm the mob of people to no avail.
Izuku gasped, someone slamming him against the wall. Decorative ridges dug into his back, but it gave the boy some room without having to focus on all sides. His eyes glanced around, eventually landing on the windows high above that let in natural light. Perhaps, if he could see what had caused the alert, he could direct the other students so no one got hurt needlessly or ran into danger.
Turning away from the crowd, Izuku jumped, his fingers finding purchase on the walls. Carefully but quickly, he climbed, making his way higher and higher while trying to not think about how much it would hurt if he fell. It felt like an hour but was more like a couple minutes before Izuku settled himself by the window, wedging himself in a corner. He activated his Eagle Vision.
There was a cloud of mixed colors, all dulled nearly to the point of inconsequence, crowding around a pair of blue figures Izuku recognized as Master Aizawa —or Aizawa-sensei when he wasn't wearing his Assassin robes— and Present Mic. The people in the front had microphones and cameras shoved in the heroes' faces.
The press. Of course. Luckily, that meant this was not a villain attack, so there was no need to panic. Still, Izuku needed a way to get this fact out to everyone before someone was trampled. His eyes scanned the students, looking for his allies. Two in particular took on the golden glow of this Target Vision, making Tsuyu and Jiro easy to see. Not only that, but they were together alongside Momo, she and Tsuyu having pulled Jiro onto a table so the shorter girl would not be crushed. A bad idea came to mind.
Izuku jumped.
"Tsuyu!" he yelled, a part of him fretting that the wind whipping past his ears would steal his voice.
"Izuku‽" The frog-girl looked up at his call, her tongue shooting out to catch him before he could hurt himself. Momo and Jiro gaped at his foolish ploy, questioning why he was falling from such a height in the first place as Tsuyu set him down. Even with the assistance, Izuku's landing still rattled both the silverware on the table and his own legs. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"
"It's just the media," Izuku explained, adrenaline thrumming through his system. The high of falling and landing felt amazing. "I climbed up to see if I could figure out what caused the alarm, but it's just the press. We need to tell the students so they'll stop panicking."
"But how?" Jiro questioned, hands over her ears to protect herself from the noise. "It's too loud!"
"Yaoyorozu, can you make a microphone and a speaker that Jiro can plug into?"
"Ah, we can use Jiro's Quirk to amplify our words, forcing the students to hear us!" she realized. "An excellent plan, Midoriya."
She knelt and lifted the hem of her shirt, Izuku turning red at the implications, as the glow of her Creation materialized a microphone and a two-foot speaker. Jiro's jacks moved, plugging into both as Momo handed a still-blushing Izuku the smaller of the two.
"Everyone calm down!" the verdet ordered, his voice magnified. Its volume was so great that there was a round of feedback, forcing students to stop and cover their ears. Izuku used that silence to forge ahead. "It's only the media! This is not a villain attack! Even if it was, you are all students of UA! Act like it! We shouldn't panic at the drop of a hat!"
The room as a whole relaxed, an almost-palpable sigh coming from the crowd as Izuku handed off the microphone to Momo. She seemed far more comfortable with all these eyes on her.
"Everyone, please return to your classes in an orderly fashion," she said. "Let the teachers handle this situation without interfering or causing trouble. Thank you."
Izuku finally relaxed as the murmuring of the crowd began to file out into the hallways. Several of his classmates made their way to the group as the verdet and girls climbed down from the table.
"That was pretty manly, Midoriya!" Kirishima laughed, slapping Izuku on the back.
"While I do not condone standing on UA property, I will admit that was quite effective," Iida nodded.
"That was awesome, Izuku!" Ochako grinned, shooting him a thumbs up.
"Yeah, Green!" Ashido agreed. "I saw that crazy jump you did! Mad hops! Where'd you learn to do that?"
"Well…" Izuku muttered, scratching his cheek. "I needed to make sure everyone could hear me and I trusted that Tsuyu and the others wouldn't let me splat. I just had to take a... a leap of faith, you know?"
The group meandered back to their classroom under the rushed insistence of Iida, the teen demanding that they must make and follow their own example rather than standing about. As they did so, however, Izuku felt a shiver go down his spine, something telling him that he was being watched.
"Recruit Midoriya," Master Aizawa said, staring down on his two students dressed in robes trimmed in green. The one with the darker trimming fidgeted. "Would you care to explain that little stunt of yours in the cafeteria that I heard about?"
"I… Well…" Izuku stumbled over his words, trying to explain his reasoning. "I didn't think that the situation was a villain attack, Master Aizawa. I was pushed against the wall and couldn't move, but I needed more information and couldn't bear to watch the other students panic."
"So, what did you do?"
"I…" He sighed, closing his eyes. "I climbed the wall to see out the sunroof windows."
"And?"
"When I saw that it was just the media, I knew I had to get the fact to the students before someone was injured in the chaos. I found Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Recruit Asui together and trusted that Asui would not let me get hurt, so I jumped."
Aizawa raised one hand, rubbing his face. The dim lighting of the Assassin den didn't help, only pronouncing his eyebags.
"Recruit, I'll have you know that Principal Nezu called me into his office after the school day just to chew me out for that. Do you know what he said?" Izuku opened his mouth. "I'll tell you what he said. He said, 'that apprentice of yours is proving himself to be both heroic and foolish. What does that say about you, Shota?' That's what Nezu said to me."
Izuku blinked.
"How…? How does he know you trained me, Master Aizawa?"
"Your little stunt, probably," Aizawa admitted. "Nezu knows all about the war between the Assassins and Templars and chooses to not take a side. He likes this game where he tries to find out who in each new class are trained by each. It usually takes him until the Sports Festival to nail them down, but you, Recruit Midoriya, have set the record for the quickest to out yourself." He turned to the other student. "Currently, Recruit Asui, he suspects you alongside seven others between both classes but has not made a final decision. Thank you for your discretion."
"Yes Master, ribbit." She paused. "Is there something else you wish to discuss, ribbit?"
"There is, and it's not too nice a topic. Before we get to that, is there anything either of you wish to report?"
"I..." Izuku hesitated, turning Aizawa's eyes on him. "I believe I do."
"Then out with it, Recruit."
"I fear the Iida family may be at risk of being lured into the Templars."
The Master Assassin quirked an eyebrow. "Do you have proof of this?"
"Nothing concrete," Izuku admitted, detaching himself from his emotions and forging ahead before their teacher could stop him. "Uraraka and I sat with him at lunch today and our conversation drifted to the Quirk laws. Some of Iida's ideas and sentiments reminded me of the lessons we've had on Templar ideals. If his brother Ingenium were to become a Templar, I'm sure Iida would follow without hesitation."
Aizawa considered his words for a minute, his eyes closed in thought. He was silent, a lack of motion causing Izuku to question if he'd fallen asleep standing up. Finally, his eyes opened.
"I see. I will pass your concerns to Mentor. We will have someone discuss ideals with Ingenium in the coming days and see if he's, and by extension his family, are at risk. Thank you." Izuku nodded, not trusting his voice. "Is there anything else?"
"No, Master, ribbit," Tsuyu said, Izuku shaking his head.
"Good. Now, follow me to the lounge."
The lounge had a pair of Assassins when the trio entered, the two that had been there already reaching for their weapons instinctively only to relax a second later. Noting the make-up of the group, they filed out, leaving Aizawa and his students alone. He gestured, reminding Izuku of when he did the same thing upon the start of his and Intelli's month-long boot camp under the man.
"How should I put this?" the Master Assassin muttered to himself as Izuku and Tsuyu made themselves comfortable on the couch. "Well, it's what you've been training for, so I guess it shouldn't be that much of a shock. Recruits Asui and Midoriya, Mentor and your teachers have decided it is time for you to join Master Assassins on proper missions." Izuki jolted and, though not as obvious, Tsuyu frowned. "You will not be sent on any mission in which we expect you to take a life, but you will witness death and we expect you to fight if things go south. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Master," the students answered.
"Good. The first mission you all will join in a raid on a Templar warehouse we discovered at some docks. That will take place this coming Friday night. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect you to be here in the den at 1000 hours ready to go. Now go finished your homework. Dismissed."
Friday came quickly, the days passing with little fanfare. The end of the week was, however, a special occasion on more than one front. After lunch, Aizawa had the class grab their hero costumes and head to a bus for a field trip with a focus on rescue training. Izuku was one of the first to finish changing, the boy stepping out with his hood shading his eyes. Momo, Tsuyu, and Iida were already standing by the bus, the male of the trio petitioning a seating chart he had made to their class rep.
"—in this way, the overall weight distribution will be even, maximizing fuel efficiency while also allowing for different viewpoints to interact."
"Iida?" Izuku asked as he drew close. The taller student turned to him at the sound of his name. "A question."
"What query do you have, Midoriya?"
"Do you know what the inside of the bus looks like?"
"Well…" Iida paused. "I assume it would be similar to the standard school vehicle. That only makes sense."
"This is UA. Does anything have to make sense?" Mentally, he added, 'I mean, I've joined a shadow war with classmates and teachers as enemies. I'm not lucky enough for even the busses to be normal.'
"That could be a valid point," Iida admitted as more students stepped out in their costumes. As the last student appeared, Aizawa made himself known by the front of the bus. All Might landed next to him, Izuku's trained eye picking up that the buff hero was breathing heavily but trying to hide it.
"Don't waste time," Aizawa said, knocking on the door. "Get in and sit down. We leave as soon everyone's settled."
Unfortunately for Iida, the bus had an open layout. The only silver lining there was that he was not in charge as a class rep, so there was no guarantee they would have used his plan in the first place. The bus itself was self-driving, but All Might placed himself in the front compartment away from the students while Aizawa stood at the front of the open area. Izuku found himself sitting on a bench between Tsuyu and Kirishima.
"I still can't get over the fact that All Might is one of our teachers," the redhead commented with a grin. "I mean, this is his first year at UA as a teacher, so that means we're part of the first class that he's ever had. How many people can say they were trained by the number one hero in the world?"
"It is pretty cool," Tsuyu agreed, "but, ribbit, we don't get him for many classes. I guess he's only part-time? And he's probably split between the other grades, too."
"He does still have hero duties, doesn't he?" Sato questioned with a hum. "It must be nice to have a power that lets him leap tall buildings and change the weather with a single punch."
"Most of the top heroes have flashy powers!" Toru put in. "I wish my powers were that eye-catching! I feel like most of the time people don't even see me."
"Well, you are literally invisible," Shoji muttered.
"Hey!"
"My Naval Lazer is the height of flashy powers," Aoyama sparkled.
"Maybe, but it doesn't make you look that good when it gives you a tummy ache," Mina giggled. Aoyama hung his head, an almost-physical dark cloud appearing around him.
"If we wanna talk about flashy powers, then Bakugo and Todoroki blow the rest of us out of the water," Ojiro said, pointing his tail toward the back of the bus.
"Yeah, but we all know Bakugo will never be popular," Kaminari chuckled.
"What was that, you deficient lightbulb‽" Bakugo growled, standing up to lean over a safety rail. His hands popped with tiny explosions. The electric teen raised his hands with a small smirk.
"I'm just saying it means something when we've only known you for a week and we're all aware your personality is flaming crap with an extra helping of trash."
"I'll fry you to a crisp, sparkplug!"
Izuku had to cover his mouth to keep from chuckling, lest Bakugo turn his wrath back to his original punching bag.
"I mean, they aren't wrong, ribbit," Tsuyu added with a grin, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth.
"You wanna go, Frog‽ I'll dry you out into a goddamn tadpole!"
"I don't think that's how that works," Kirishima laughed.
Aizawa watched the whole byplay with half-lidded eyes.
"You would think they could find something more productive to do with their time," Momo whispered.
"Maybe," Ochako replied, "but you gotta admit it's kinda fun to listen to."
"Everyone quiet," their teacher ordered, the bus coming to a smooth stop. "We're here. Get out."
'Here' in this case was a massive, dome-shaped, concrete building, a hero in an astronaut's pressure suit waiting on the steps before the door.
"Eeeee!" Ochako squeaked, grabbing the closest person to her and shaking them with reckless abandon. "It's Thirteen! She's my favorite hero!"
"A-Ah… O-O-O-Oui?" Aoyama questioned between shakes, swirls in his eyes.
The bus creaked a little, All Might stepping out onto the pavement.
"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the rescue training," Thirteen said. "Behind me is a building of my own design. I call it the Unforeseen Simulations Joint, or the USJ for short."
'Like Universal Studios Japan?' every student mentally questioned.
"Anyway," the Space Hero continued, "I know you all are eager to get started, but I have something to say before you do. Well, maybe two. Three? Possibly four. To start, do you all know what my Quirk is?"
"It's Black Hole!" Ochako piped up, a hand raised. "You can suck up and destroy rubble by just pointing at it! You've used it to save hundreds from natural disasters!"
"That's right," Thirteen nodded. "I use my powers to rescue people because I'm a hero, but it's also a power that could easily kill someone if I'm not careful."
That one statement killed the mood, a heavy air falling over the students. Several looked like someone had slapped them with a fish.
"This might not apply to all of you, but many powers, especially those more suited to hero work, are destructive and dangerous. One wrong move could cripple a person or worse. Judging by your expressions, I can tell some of you are realizing this about your friends or yourselves. I know there is only one or two of you whose Quirk could not be used to end someone's life, even on purpose. All the same, you must learn that every action you take will have a consequence, possibly one you did not intend. That is why we have brought you all here to the USJ. Here, you can find the limits of your powers and learn how much you may need to hold back so you don't end up accidentally killing a villain or a victim. Are there any questions?"
No one spoke or raised their hand, causing Thirteen to nod and metaphorically pass the mic to Aizawa.
"Everyone, into the building."
The inside was even more impressive than the outside, several mock landscapes ringing a large patio with a fountain in the center. On one side was a ship in the midst of sinking. In another, a rocky mountainside. In another, a dome labeled "downpour". In another, an earthquake-damaged city. Another a burning conflagulation. And more besides.
"It's as impressive as the first time I was here," All Might grinned, entering last and having to duck to do so.
"Thank you," Thirteen nodded. "Now then, everyone, we'll start making our way to—"
The building's lights flickered, the Space Hero cutting herself off. A purple distortion formed in the air before the fountain, taking a shape almost like a jagged scar in the air. Out of it stepped a pale man with white hair covered in hands clothed in all black.
He was only the first, a plethora of humanoids following him through the portal. Beings of all shapes and sizes appeared one after another, Izuku's eyes picking out hammers for hands to shark heads to one guy that had a lion coming from his stomach. The largest of the bunch was pitch black, a hulking mass of muscle with a bird's beak and an exposed brain.
"Those are some crazy effects, sensei," Kaminari commented.
"Those aren't special effects," Aizawa denied, all three pro heroes placing themselves between the group and their students. The purple portal shrunk, taking the form of a man similar to a flame the same color with two yellow lines where his eyes should've been. "Those are actual villains."
"Ah, good," Portal Guy said, Izuku imagining he was smiling. "The schedule was accurate."
"Hello, wannabe heroes and NPCs!" the man with the hands yelled, spreading his arms wide. "We are the League of Villains!"
"For what dastardly reason have you come here?" All Might demanded.
"For you, oh Symbol of Peace! Today is your game over!"
"You think you will succeed where hundreds of others have failed?" the blond hero questioned.
"Of course, because we have a cheat item no one else had. Don't worry, though. You won't be the only person dying today. We're giving your whole party a TPK with his raid!" He snapped his fingers.
"Game start!"
End of Chapter 6
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods